IMAGE  EVALUATION 
TEST  TARGET  (MT-3) 


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Photographic 

Sciences 
Corporation 


23  WEST  MAIN  STREET 

WEBSTER,  N.Y.  14580 

(716)  872-4303 


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CIHM/ICMH 

Microfiche 

Series. 


CIHM/ICMH 
Collection  de 
microfiches. 


Canadian  Institute  for  Historical  Microreproductions  /  Institut  Canadian  de  microreproductions  historiques 


Technical  and  Bibliographic  Notes/Notes  techniques  et  bibliographiques 


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r~T|    Coloured  covers/ 

In/  I    Couverture  de  couleur 


rr^l    Covers  damaged/ 


Couverture  endommag^e 


□    Covers  restored  and/cr  laminated/ 
Couverture  restaurde  et/ou  pelliculie 


D 


D 
D 

D 

D 


a 


Cover  title  missing/ 

Le  titre  de  couvertrre  manque 


I      I    Coloured  maps/ 


Cartes  giographiques  est  couleur 


Coloured  ink  (i.e.  other  than  olue  or  black)/ 
Encre  da  couleur  (i.e.  autre  que  bloue  ou  noire) 


Coloured  plates  and/or  illustrations/ 
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Bound  with  other  material/ 
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Tight  bindir«g  mav  causa  shadows  or  distortion 
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Blank  leaves  added  during  restoration  may 
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mais,  lorsque  cela  dtait  possible,  ces  pages  n'ont 
pas  M  filmies. 


The 
to  th 


L'Institut  a  microfilm^  le  meilleur  exemplaire 
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sont  ind.qu^s  ci-dessous. 


□    Coloured  pages/ 
Pages  de  couleur 

□    Pages  damaged/ 
Pages  endommagdes 


n 


n 


Pages  restored  and/or  laminated/ 
Pages  restaur^es  et/ou  pelliculdes 


J~y^    Pages  discoloured,  stained  or  foxed/ 


The 
poss 
of  tt 
filmi 


Orig 
begi 
the  I 
sion 
othe 
first 
sion 
or  il 


Pages  ddcoloriies,  tachet^es  ou  piquees 

Pages  detached/ 
Pages  detachees 

Showthrough/ 
Transparence 

Quality  of  prir 

Quality  inigale  de  {'impression 

Includes  supplementary  materia 
Comprend  du  materiel  supplamentaire 


r~n  Pages  detached/ 

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r~n  Includes  supplementary  material/ 


Only  edition  available/ 
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Pages  wholly  or  partially  obscured  by  errata 
slips,  tissues,  etc.,  have  been  refilmed  to 
ensure  the  best  possible  image/ 
Les  pages  totalemetit  ou  partiellement 
obscurcies  par  un  feuillet  d'errata,  une  pelure, 
etc.,  ont  iti  film^es  d  nouveau  de  facon  i 
obtenir  la  meilleure  image  possiblt*. 


The 
shal 
TINI 
whii 

MaF 
diff« 
enti 
beg 
righ 
reqt 
met 


Additional  comments:/ 
Commentaires  suppl^mentaires; 


Pagination  is  as  follows  :    [115]    121  p. 


This  item  is  filmed  at  the  reduction  ratio  checked  below/ 

Ce  document  est  filmi  au  taux  de  reduction  indiqui  ci-dessous. 


10X 

14X 

18X 

22X 

26X 

30X 

y 

12X 


16X 


20X 


24X 


28X 


32X 


tails 

du 
sdifier 

une 
-nage 


The  copy  filmed  here  has  been  reproduced  thanks 
to  the  generosity  of: 

National  Library  of  Canada 


The  images  appearing  here  are  the  best  quality 
possible  considering  the  condition  and  legibility 
of  the  original  copy  and  in  keeping  with  the 
filming  contract  specifications. 


L'exemplaire  film6  fut  reproduit  grflce  d  ia 
g6n6rosit6  de: 

Bibiiothdque  nationaie  du  Canada 


Les  images  suivantes  ont  6t6  reproduites  avec  le 
plus  grand  soin.  compte  tenu  de  la  condition  et 
de  ia  nettetd  de  l'exemplaire  film6,  et  en 
conformity  avec  les  conditions  du  contrat  de 
filmage. 


Original  copies  in  printed  paper  covers  are  filmed 
beginning  with  the  front  cover  and  ending  on 
the  last  page  with  a  printed  or  Illustrated  impres- 
sion, or  the  back  cover  when  appropriate.  All 
other  original  copies  are  filmed  beginning  on  ^he 
first  page  with  a  printed  or  illustrated  impres- 
sion, and  ending  on  the  last  page  with  a  printed 
or  illustrated  impression. 


Les  exempiaires  originaux  dont  la  couverture  en 
papier  est  imprimie  sont  fiim6s  en  commenpant 
par.le  premier  plat  et  en  terminant  soit  par  ia 
dernidre  page  qui  comporte  une  empreinte 
d'impression  ou  d'illustration,  soit  par  le  second 
plat,  selon  le  cas.  Tous  les  autres  exempiaires 
originaux  sont  filmds  en  commengant  par  la 
premidre  page  qui  comporte  une  empreinte 
d'impression  ou  d'illustration  et  en  terminant  par 
la  dernidre  page  qui  comporte  une  telle 
emprbinte. 


The  last  recorded  frame  on  each  microfiche 
shall  contain  the  symbol  -^(meaning  "CON- 
TINUED"), or  the  symbol  y  (meaning  "END"), 
whichever  at:  ilies. 

Maps,  plates,  charts,  etc.,  may  be  filmed  at 
different  reduction  ratios.  Those  too  large  to  be 
entirely  included  in  one  ex'-osure  are  filmed 
beginning  in  the  upper  lei.,  nand  corner,  left  to 
right  and  top  to  bottom,  as  many  frames  as 
required.  The  following  diagrams  illustrate  the 
method: 


Un  des  symboles  suivants  apparaitra  sur  la 
dernidre  image  de  cheque  microfiche,  selon  le 
cas:  le  symbole  — ►  signifie  'A  SUIVRE  ",  le 
symbole  V  signifie  "FIN". 

Les  cartes,  planches,  tableaux,  etc.,  peuvent  dtre 
fiimds  d  des  taux  de  rdduction  diffdrents. 
Lorsque  le  document  est  trop  grand  pour  dtre 
reproduit  en  un  seul  clichd,  il  est  filmd  d  partir 
de  I'angle  supdrieur  gauche,  de  gauche  d  droite, 
et  de  haut  en  bas,  en  prenant  le  nombre 
d'images  ndcessaire.  Les  diagrammes  suivants 
iliustrent  ia  m6thode. 


rrata 
;o 


selure, 
1  i 


a 


32X 


1  2  3 


1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

m 


INDIAN 

USE  OF  W-ILD  RICE       ^<:5#    '^ 

in* 

-ii 

1   -^.^ss— *-    ^g| 

i 

[  Prom  Thb  AMS»ir      Aj{fHBOSK>LOQMiT  for  Amih, 


WASH1N«T<)N,  ».  C. 

1896 


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BrtTiTIWllWWffrf— |i|<  i<  iiw^gjg^iMa; 


UJ 


LPi 


INDIAN  USB  OP  WILD  RICE 


GARDNER   P.  STICKXEY 


i       - 


"  Our  sonirs  being  finished  we  began  our  teeth  to  worke.  We 
had  there  a  kinde  of  rice,  much  like  oats.  It  growes  in  the  watter 
in  ;]  or  4  foote  dcepe.  There  is  a  God  tliat  shews  hiinselfe  in 
every  eountrey,  ahniglity,  fuUofgoodnesse  and  y  preservation  of 
those  poore  people  who  knoweth  hiui  not.  They  have  a  particular 
way  to  gather  up  that  graine.  Two  takes  a  boat  and  two  sticks, 
by  w""  they  gett  y"  eare  downe  and  gett  the  corne  out  of  it.  Their 
I)oat  being  full,  they  ])ring  it  to  a  fitt  place  to  dry  it;  and  that 
is  their  food  for  the  most  part  of  the  winter,  and  doe  dresse  it 
thus:  ifor  each  man  a  handfuU  of  that  they  putt  in  the  pott, 
that  swells  so  much  that  it  can  sullice  a  man."'  Thus  wrote 
Pierre  d'Esprit,  Hieur  Radisson,  in  16G8,  for  the  information  of 
Charles  II,  of  England. 

W'dd  rice,  Zhniwi  aqnatlca,  is  common  throughout  eastern 
North  America,  but  is  most  abundant  in  the  shallows  of  the 
(ireat  Lakes  region.  It  is  also  termed  Indian,  water,  and  wild 
oats  and  marsh  rye.  iVlthough  known  to  rinujcus,'  it  has  never 
been  extensively  used,  except  by  some  tribes  of  North  American 
Indians.  It  grows  best  from  the  rich,  muddy,  slimy  bottoms  of 
gently  llowing  streams  or  their  expansions  into  marshy  lakes. 
The  stagnant  water  of  swamps  and  the  still  water  of  small  spring 
lakes  do  not  seem  to  furnish  its  necessities.  In  scarcely  moving 
water  the  stalks  sometimes  come  up  from  a  depth  of  ten  feet  or 
more,  but  this  grass  is  commonly  found  in  water  from  two  to 


'  Radisson's  Fouvth  Voi/ai/e,  in  Wis.  Hist.  Coll.,  vol.  xr,  p.  89. 

^  I.  A.  Lapham.     G'ca.w.s  of  Wlsconmi,  in  Trans.  Wis.  Agr.  Society,  1853. 


JO 


(115) 


IIC) 


THK    AMKUICAX    ANTJr l{()POI,()(il8T 


[Vol.    IX 


i--> 


four  fcrt  (locp.     It  oi't.Mi  roaches  ii  lioij,']it  of  nine  or  ten  feet  and 
^M-()\vs  ill  a  thick  mass;  th(!  leaves  are  h»n,ir,  ilat.  aii<"  hiiiceolate  ; 
tlie  paiiich!  is  |)yraiiii.lal  ii<  form  ;  the  lower  hranches  are  spread- 
iiifj;an(lstamiiuite;  the  upper  hranches  erect  and  pistillate.    This 
unusual  arran<,'emeiit  necessitates  a  reversal    of  the  common 
method  of  fertilization.     In  wild  rice  the  small  grains  of  pollen 
are  lighter  than  the  surrounding  atmosphere.     So,  on  leaving  the 
anther,  instead  of  falling,  as  in  most  plants,  they  rise  to  come  in 
contact  with  the  stigmas  and  jjroduce  fertilization.''     This  va- 
riety of  grass  is  exceedingly  prolific.     While  found  in  many  of 
the  lakes  and  streams  of  northern  Wisconsin,  it  does  not  grow  in 
all  of  those  which  seem  fitted  for  it.     [t  can  he  sown  in  %-oper 
j)laces  with  good  results.     It  is  an  annual,  the  plant  from  the 
seed  dropped  in  the  fall  coming  ui)  through   the  water  in  early 
•luneand  at  once  putting  forth  its  llower-stalk.     It  flowers  ni 
July  and  early  .\ugust  and  reaches  maturity  in  Se[)teml)er.    The 
seed  is  longer  than  that  of  common  rice  and  is  of  a  dark  slate 
(H)lor.     This  plant  is  tlie./oZ/c.v  aroincs  of  the  early  French  writers. 
Its  harvest  marked  an  important  time  in  the  Indian's  year  and 
preceded  the  great  annual  autumnal  hunt.     With  the  ancient 
village  sites  and  the  hest  hunting  grounds,  the  rice  fields  were 
esteemed  the  most  valuahle  tribal  property  and  were  vigorouslv 
defended.  ' 

At  the  i)resent  day  wild  rice  is  an  important  item  in  the  diet 
of  the  Ojibwa  Indians  of  Wisconsin.     The  fields  on   Kakagon 
river,  several  miles  from  their  village,  are  annually  visited^for 
the  harvest.     In  the  Ojihwa.  tongue  August  is  .Manomiiiik(>gisiss, 
the  "rice-making  moon."     About  the  first  of  this  month "these 
Indians  prepare  large  (juantities  of  cedar-bark  rope  or  twine, 
using  the  inner  bark  torn  into  long,  narrow  strips,  which   are 
then  tied  together.     This  twine  is  rolled  into  a  large  ball  for  con- 
venience in  handling.     Toward  the  mid.lle  of  August,  when  the 
rice  is  ill  the  milk,  they  visit  the  rice  fields  in  their  canoes.    Two 
women  usually  work  together.    One  paddles  or  pushes  the  canoe ; 
the  other  sits  or  kneels,  with  her  roll  of  cedar  twine  behind  her^ 
the  end  passing  forward  through  a  ring  on  her  shoulder.     This 
woman  gathers  as  many  rice-stalks  as  she   can  conveniently 
reach  and  fastens  them  together  in  a  sheaf  by  passing  her  twine 

•''C.  L.  Flint.     Gi-ininex  niid  Fnmt/r  PItmtx,  p.  80. 
*  \V.  \V.  Warren.     Ulxtunj  nj'lhc  Ojihw(n/s,  p.  222. 


[Vol.   IX 

I  t'ct't  and 
n('(3ul:itc  ; 
\'v.  sprc'iid- 
iitc.    'riii.s 

CDlHIllOll 

of  ])olIcn 
living  the 
)  come  in 
Tlii.s  va- 
many  of 
>t  grow  in 

II  proper 
from  tlie 

in  early 
owers  in 
er.  The 
ark  slate 
1  writers, 
year  and 
I  ancient 
ild.s  were 
gorously 

the  diet 
Cakagon 
■*itc(l  for 
kegisiss, 
th  these 
r  twine, 
lich  are 
for  con- 
'Iien  the 
iS.  1  wo 
e  canoe; 
ind  her, 
I-.  This 
3niently 
if  twine 


April  18!)(J] 


IMil.W    IISK   OK   Wll,l)    l{((K 


around  the  stalks  just  I.elow  the  heads  and  tving  it.  This  enahl..s 
her  later  to  gather  a  large  harvest  with  less  trouhle,  the  sheaf 
being  handled  more  easily  and  more  seeurelv  than  the  loose 
stalks  an<l  less  gran,  is  kn<.cked  into  the  water  in  the  handlin.^ 
I  he  sh,;aves  stand  in  rows  just  far  enough  apart  to  allow  a  cant^e 
t..  pass  between  the  rows.'  After  allowing  them  to  stand  about 
two  weeks,  the  grain  then  being  ripe,  the  women  return  in  their 
canoes  and  harvest  the  crop.  Formerly  the  heads  were  some- 
times cut  oil  with  a  knife  and  carried  to  the  shore,  but  this  could 
not  be  done  to  advantage  when  the  seeds  were  ripe. 

Some  of  tlie  Indians,  instead  of  using  the  twine,  would  for- 
merly gather  a  handful  of  stalks  and  twist  them  together  and 
downward,  leavmg  the  grain  thus  to  ripen  ;  thev  proceeded  in  this 
manner  over  a  considerable  district.«     When  thev  came  later  to 
gather  the  seed,  each  woman  knew  her  own  bv  some  peculiarity 
ot  the  twist,  and  the  rights  of  this  ownership  were  respected 
taryer  says  that  ea.m  family  ha<l  its  allotment  and  was  able  to 
distinguish  ,t  by  the  manner  in  which  tlje  sheaves  were  fastened  ^ 
leather  Manjuette  i)robal)ly  referred  to  this  practice  when  he 
wrote:  "They  divide  the  ground  .vhereon  this  wild  rice  -rows 
so  that  each  one  can  reap  his  own  sei)arately  without  trespassin.^ 
on  his  neighbor's  patch.'"* 

Sometinics   the   rice  is  harvested    without   the   preliminary 
binding  into  sheaves.     Two  women  work  together  sittin-  in  the 
extremes  ot  a  canoe  facing  each  other.     The  one  at  the" rear  is 
equipped  with  a  long,  light  pole  with  which  to  push  the  canoe 
along,  this  pole  being  sometimes  forked  at  one  end  to  keep  it 
from  sinking  too  far  in  the  muddy  bottom  of  the  stream      The 
\yoman  at  the  bow  holds  two  slender  .-edar  sticks  a  trifle  more 
than  three  tbet  in  length.     These  sticks  are  1  i  inches  in  diameter 
at  the  butt  and  tai.er  almost  to  a  point.     They  are  specially 
prei)ared  tor  this  ])ur|)ose  and  are  used  for  none  other      One  of 
them  IS  sometimes  made  with  a  curve  or  hook  at  one  end       \s 
the  canoe  is  slowly  pushe.l  through  the  thicklv  grown  stalks  of 
nee,  tins  woman  bends  the  stalks  over  the  canoe  from  one  side 
with  her  curved  stick  and  strikes  the  heads  smartlv  with  the 


^'  liev.  C.  Verwyst,  ().  S.  F.,  i„  a  porsonul  \et^. 

A.  G.  Fills.     Ji.colMous,  in  Wi.s.  Hist.  Coll.,  vol.  vir,  n   •>(!.', 
^  .  Carver.     Trarrh,  Phi  la.  e.l.,  1784,  p.  I'lO. 


118 


TIIK    AMKRICA;V    ANTHUOI'OL.KIIHT 


[Vol.  IX 


Other  stick,  (li^I.).ltrinjr  tj,,.  yniin  mikI  caininfr  it  to  fall  into  the 
oanoe.     {{eversi,,-  Imiids,  she  ..pcnites  in  th.,-  s:u.ie  wuv  on  tho 
other  side  „t  the  .-anoe.     Ahout  a  -ill  is  detaehe.l  at  eai'h  blow 
IhiH  operation  is  continued  until  the  forward  oml  of  the  canoe 
IS  heavdy  loaded  an<l  sinks  .leep  in  the  water.    Then  the  women 
exchan,t,'e  implements  and  duties,  hut  k,..p  their  respective  «eats, 
and  the  direction  of  the  canoe's  mov.Mnent  is  reversed      Tlie 
work  is  resumed  and  is  carried  on  until   the  other  en<l  of  the 
canoe  is  also  loade.l,  when  the  women  push  it  to  the  sjmre  an.l 
at  once  he-in  their  pivparations  f„r  dryin-  and  separating  the 
rice      ft  18  covered  at  this  sta'^^e  with  an  unusuallv  t.-naciouH 
husk,  and  has  a  l.eanl  ahout  two  inches  1,,,,-.     When  hound  in 
sheaves  the  rice  is  j^athered  in  the  sa-ne  manner.     Usually  how- 
ever, after  the  twine  is  slipped  otf  the  see.l  droj.s  into  the'canoe 
on  being  shaken  over  it." 

The  grain  is  dried  in  three  ways.  Some  nierelv  spread  it  on 
skins  or  blankets  in  the  sun  until  it  is  thoroughlV  cured  The 
quickest  process  is  that  of  parching  a  handful  at  a  time  in  a 
kettle  over  the  tire,  but  this  method  to  some  extent  destroys  the 
nutritive  qualities  of  the  grain.  The  common  wav  is  to  build  a 
light  scaffold,  calle.l  abwa.ljigan  by  the  Ojibwas,  about  three  feet 
rom  the  ground.  Upon  it  is  placed  a  mat  of  basswood  or  cedar 
bark  to  hold  the  grain,  and  und,.rneath  a  slow  fire  is  built 
Sometimes  the  scaffold  is  inclosed  by  a  hed-e  or  fence  of  .^-een 
cedar  branches  to  confine  the  heat  an.l  then.bv  .|uickeM  the  .Irv- 
ing process.  The  rice  ..n  the  mat  is  turned  .)r"sl,aken  from  ti.ne 
tfUmie,  and  it  usually  takes  a  .lay  t.)  dry  a,  scaflbldful. 

«0.  T.  Mas.»i,  Orii^lns  of  I^nrution,  ,,.  liH),  says:  "  Wlici-ev^T  sava-es 
I.avo  hoen  v.sitcl  in  tlu-ir  native  sin.pli.-ity,  tlu-y  soon,  tn  iuuo  t\nuu\ 
out  just  how  lo^.irner  ti.o  ,)n„hi,.ts  of  ti.o  plants  in  the  host  niannor- 
.  .  .  the  Ujihwa  uonum  i.a.ldios  hor  .-anoo  anmnu'  th."  wihl  ri.v  an.l 
with  a  proper  wand  f^out.  tho  .seo.ls  into  a  .-oarso  .nut  sproa.I  .,n  thj  bot- 
t<.m.  8ee.l-jrathonnj;  seems  to  have  h.-on  oon.lncto.l  in  much  tho  same 
mannm-  by  many  In.lian  tribos.     Soo  V.  V.  Coviiio,  in  An,.  Antliropolo- 

In<ur,^,  y,  („,   on  the  Man.lan.s,  lieeH,  an.l  Pawnees.     In  Ou  llu' Hnrder 

It;/' !■•'  ';•;•''  ?^J'\-^-  ^^-  '^-•■^^'  ->-  -The  Apache  women  pl^o 

then-  conical  baskets  un.lor  tho  tops  of  the  stalks  of  soo.l-bearin.  -nises 
draw  hese  down  u.itil  they  inolino  ovor  tho  baskets,  and  thenl,^ tS 
S;:;;;;;:;;:-""'^"^'  ^^"'^•"  ^'^"^^^=^"  theseedtonm  intothereoep. 


April  i.snr.] 


iNDIAN    USK   op    VVHJ)    lucK 


119 


Fo,  .sopunan,,  th.  husk  In,,.,  tl..  k.-n.ol  u  hole  i.  dn,  i.,  suit- 
't'.lo  ground,  about  u  loot  u,.,l  ,  l.alf.U.p  ,,..,  ti.,-,,.  ,;     „ 
'■mnleronce.     Alter  tl..  .,,.1,.  i.s  dry  four  or  five  mnrts    f  ' 

tnte,  ii  ha-  a.i.l  laid  m  the  hole.     The  '•  st-.hv.rf  I  ....    "  .. 

u™,i. ,.„ i. „„ui ,1. ,,„„,. i„ „„, ;: ,;,;',,;,  ;;:;; 

".■k  UK    „S  |„.,.|,„MUU„.„  I,,,.  „„,,,,,  „,„„„   „,  ,1,^.  „_  " 

presen    .l.j-atuo  i,  s„„„„i,„c.s  sul.titnlo,!  for  the  I.,;:,,  i,. 
Rrouml.     Alto,-  th„  l„,sk  is  detacho,!  th,,  .M-ui„  i.  ■  '.,   ' 

::,::'■  'i-r;:-;'^  -'■  ■',"■■•'■'->-* '- ■-  -.i :.::,;:;;",:: 

•Jm  in.,  u  111  a  kettle.     It  is  always  cnuked  uu<a-ound  ^^n,^  .,«„  ,11 
wUhout  seaso......     Cooked  .ntoa  paste  it  isC;;!n  [^^^ 

toi  biead.      Ihe  h.-oth  ol  meat  and  fish  is  also  thiekened  with  if 
1.  very  nourishing;  an  aere  of  wild  rice  hein,  sah     o  A.        h 
about  asn.uch  nutriment  as  an  acre  of  wheat      fjev    'l    v 
Verwvst,  O.  S.  F    of  the  O.Im.imK   t»  .        ''^  •'^'''.vsost'.m 

"  W.-ri  .•       .     ''•'''^  ^['"^  Udanah   Reservation  mission,  writes  • 
\    Id  nee  IS  very  palatable,  a..d  the  writer  and  his     ,   ,' itu  i 
children  p.-efer  it  to  the  rice  of  conu.ierce  althoud     t 
^>ok  ,iuite  so  nice.     I  am  verv  Ibnd  .^'     "-     T  f  \  I  "'^  '"' 
Indians  i)arched  rice   until    it   lm...f    r  AIiNs.ssaoua 

lunUers  and   fisher,     n  I    t    nutor/'^'T"^ 

Ho..  ...yco..m.oniyused^^;;:i!;;:: 

;i  IHM  Dablon,  in  the  Relation  of  l(;71,savs-   -'The  f-it  off. 

-'»'^l-",xed  with  wild  oats  makes  the  .uost\le  1     t      ,      '  "■ 
t  us  coiiiiti'v  " "      v..    n  •    ,  'iLiicaie  (iish  of 

«,..:i;i,,,,i;r;:=r;n-"':t;::*;;;:;;:: 

'■'Op.  cit.,p.  210. 

;;inWis.Hist.  Coll.,vol.  .x„r,  p.42i) 
'*  Fa,sre  44. 

v^m.''  '"'''-   ^''"''"''■"  '''' ■''"  '"  ^<^^-.  i"  wi.  ,ii«t.  c,.n.,  v„i.  V.., 


120 


)  ' 


i'N 


TIIK    AMKUK'AN-    A  \Tir  l((>I>()M)firST 


[Vol.   IX 


dish  was  ro,n,H.so.]  ol  wil.l  n<-c,  corn,  un.l  (ish  hoilc]  t.x^ethor- 
U  .  also  senv  .ith  .napic  svn.,  anW  with  <..-anI,e.-Hes  It 
sNNells.irreatlyv.-h.M.  ,u.t  into  tlu-  water.  A  small  han.lfnl  i! 
enough  for  tin,  nioal  of  a  lar^ro  fa.nily.'^ 

Ill    ;l(lr  1  if  ion    f,>   !>,>;.,, :. .    . 


enoujrii  for  tin;  nioal  of  a  lariro  fainilv.'' 

In  ad.iition  to  l.ein.u^  an  important  article  of  food  for  Imnsdf 
an.     us  nuudy  wild   rice  served  tluMndian   of, orn.er.:: 
another  way.     It  attracted  vast  „un.l,ers  o."  wild  fowl  of  every 
ort  and  thns  hron.nt  to  hi.n  another  ,reat  food-snpply.      Z 
iondness  wluch  these  birds  evin.-o  for  wild   rice  is  w    I  \" 


-     M  >,  ma,He  su,ar.  and  ruv  were  the  conunodities  oin.red 
'o.  -le  hy  the  (),,lnva  of  s,.venty  years  n,o.      In    1S2()  a  Imshel 
.^=uk  o(  nee  was  value.l  at  two  skins,  the  price  of  a   In.-e   orin.e 
'-verpelt.'^     At  the  present  day  this  ..dn  n.av  he  l^ui' 
storc^n  sonu"  of  UHM^-itiesj,f  northern  Wisconsin. 

'«.r.  W.  Hi,l<lie,  i„  Wis.  n^C^]7yo\7Z^\  ~~~ 

'All   iiitdlijr,.nt  lmlf-I:l,.o.l  of  the    (Muinli  ivJerv-.H  .., 

;:::;H:r:"'rr'""r'"7"'- --"n:r::,r;;i;':,;:; 


I !  FST 

'■•^Ii  lioilc-d  toiiethor.'" 
itli  cranhemes.  It 
\   sinal!    handful  i.s 

of  food  for  liiiijsc'lf 
1   of  foi-juof  days  in 
wild  fowl  of  every 
food-supply,     'riio 
■i<'e  is  well  known, 
■y  can   ho   found  in 
'  it  ai>ounds.     'Hk" 
lesfi-iptions  of  the 
ii-oiind  the  Zl-:<tma 
I.     The  hirds  were 
i<'e,  "irexpressihly 
IS  a(h  co\'.  l)ut  also 
nxelf  in   its  thick 
hirds  witli  a  clul). 
,  wild   I'iee  is  liar- 
4s  hut  a,  few  days, 
10  sliiihtest  touch. 
netin)es  sliake    'I 
sheaves  ahove  de- 
^  fi'on.i  this  cause. 

0  last  throu-h  the 
'  lor  each  lahiily. 
•s  much  aslwenty- 
<)jil)was  of  today 
luc  i'aniily. 
iinoilitics  oli(.|-('d 
111    hSl'O  a  hushcl 

01  a  lar^ic.  pi'inie 
i-iy  he  hought  at 
sin. 


itidii  writes  me  in 
>iiiach  real  (hH  and 
V  nutritions,  it  pro- 


April  l,S9(i] 


INDrAX    Vi^K   OF   WIL,')    IlIcE 


121 


I  he  value  ol  wdd  rice  to  the  \Visconsin  Indians  of  early  davs 
<-an  s,-arcely  he  estin.ate.l.'^'  They  were  han-lv  heuinninj;  to  tun', 
then- attention  to  a.uriculture.-  The  ahun.lance  of  this  crop  the 
case  w,th_  which  it  was  harveste<!  and  transported  to  their  homcss 
and  the  hicts  that  it  required  no  lahor  in  preparing  the  ground 
and  no  care  wlnle  coming  to  n>aturity  rendered  it  easily  their 
nio.-,t  important  vegetalde  foo.l.  It  was  one  of  their  staples  of 
suhsistenee,  tar  more  imi)ortant  to  them  than  corn.^' 

Tl.ere  were  two  centers  of  Indian  population  in  the  .listrict 
that  IS  now  \V  isconsin-one  along  the  southern  sliore  of  Lake 
superior  well  toward  its  western  end,  and  the  othar  in  Fox  River 
valley.     I  ho  hi.^t  was  composed  chielly  of  Qjibwa,  and  tlie  latter 
oKMenoiuim,  P(,tawatomi,Sauk  and  Fox,  Ahiscoutin.  Miami  and 
K.kapu,  in  straggling  onh-r.     Both  regions  were  very  good  Ibr 
..sh.ng  and  fair  for  the  hunting  of  large  game,  hut  undouhtedly 
the  prune  cause  of  the  location  of  the  In.lian  villages  was  tl,; 
great  crops  of  wild  rice  to  he  obtained  in  each  place  with  tlie 
outlay  ot  little  lahor.'^'^     The  immense  acreage  and  the  dense 
growth  insured  a  bountiful  harvest  to  every  one  who  was  willin.. 
o  work.      1  n  some  parts  of  Fox  river  this  grain  grew  so  denselC 
^  mt  passages  tor  boats  had  to  be  cut  through  it,  and  in  one  place 
it  spread  over  an  area  five  miles  long  by  two  miles  wide  '^^'     When 
we  read  ot  one  sir.all  lake  which  would  furnish  a  supply  for  2,000 
I'Hhans,  and  then  realiz,>  that  this  region  was  full  of  lakes  and 
streams  ehoke.l  with  wild  ri.e,  it  comes  forciblv  uiu.n  us  that 
I'crem  truth  was  an  Indian  paradise.  ' 

'•'See  Wan-on,  op.  Ht.,  pp.  4(),^^  ,;;;7^^.,,:^,";;;;;7/^ 

1'.  •  -',  M(.te;  Newberry  in  I'op.  Sei.  .Afonthlv.  vol.  vxx„    p   •;, 
■  See  .Iar,uette,  Rrl,„iu„,  Uul  ;  also  \Vanvn,  op.  eit:.  p.m     For  ,.,„. 

'-  •!.  i.iviies  llisliirii  i,j  Aiiirrira,  vol.  i. 

uri'/'''"«V;  .^'""^'-''"^  '"  ''  l"''-'^"""'  li'ttcr.  .My  l,alf-l.!oo.l  friend  ai.o 
n  es  "  ,  ,s  p,.esun.e,l  to  have  been  the  ...ain  sonree  of  f^.o.l  on  le  i^ 
n.c.a,n.a,ies„.ar,an.lli«h."     See  also  A;<7,,//...,  n;;^s,  p   ->, 

< '.  U  .  I<  eutherstonlumgl,.      |  ',»/„,/,  ./>  thr  Minnay-Sulor,  p   1S4 


f 


